Little Rock pharmacy struggles to keep up with high demand of COVID-19 medication Paxlovid

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – As an increasing number of Arkansans test positive for COVID-19 in the heat of the summer, pharmacies struggle to keep up with the high demand of Paxlovid, a medication used to relieve the serious symptoms of COVID.

Kavanaugh Pharmacy owner Anne Pace said her pharmacy and others like it are facing a shortage of the drug. She said that when Paxlovid went available commercially last year, at the same time the government stopped covering the cost of the medication for pharmacies and patients was when pharmacies started struggling with the cost of the medicine.

Pace added the shortage is making it harder for the pharmacy to keep the 30 to 40 boxes of Paxlovid they used to have on their shelves.

"That would be $35-40,000 for me to order to have on my shelf for when a patient may need it," Pace said.

Pace said she suggests COVID patien...